The violence found in the Old Testament is a difficult issue that many struggle with. God commanded the Israelites to completely destroy entire nations, including women and children (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). This seems antithetical to the God of love revealed in the New Testament. When answering why God condoned violence in the Old Testament, several factors must be considered:
The justice and holiness of God
While God is loving, He is also completely just and holy (Psalm 99:9). He hates sin and must punish it. The Canaanites were wicked people who practiced child sacrifice, bestiality, incest, and all kinds of immorality (Leviticus 18:24-30). They set their faces against God and had ample time to repent, but stubbornly refused to do so. Their punishment was just and showed the seriousness of sin in God’s eyes.
Protecting Israel’s monotheistic faith
After freeing Israel from slavery, God sought to create a nation that would follow Him alone among polytheistic peoples. The Canaanites’ sinful practices were a cancer that could corrupt Israel’s faith and needed to be completely removed. Allowing the Canaanites to coexist with Israel would have led God’s people into idolatry, undoing God’s purpose (Exodus 23:31-33). The violence ensured the survival of monotheism.
A specific, limited command
The command to destroy Canaanite nations was specific to one period of Israel’s history. It was never a general command to attack unbelievers. Once Israel was established, God did not use them to judge other nations. The violence was not perpetual but limited to the conquest of Canaan.
Warning against sin
The destruction of Canaan also served as a graphic object lesson of God’s hatred of sin. It was meant to instill a fear of the Lord and turn people from wickedness (Deuteronomy 13:11). The violence shows how seriously God takes human depravity and should cause all people to repent.
God’s sovereign right
As the author and giver of life, God has the right to take life whenever He chooses (Deuteronomy 32:39). He used Israel to carry out His righteous judgment on inherently evil Canaanite culture. God is not obligated to prolong the lives of those bent on evil.
God offers mercy to all
Though God ordained Israel’s violent role, He deals very differently with people today. Since Jesus’ atonement, God offers mercy and salvation to all who repent of their sins (2 Peter 3:9). The violence of the Old Testament does not negate God’s compassion – it confirms humanity’s need for Christ’s redemption.
Foreshadows final judgment
The destruction of Canaan also foreshadows God’s final judgment against all evil (Revelation 19:11-21). Just as God used Israel to punish Canaan, so will He one day eradicate all wickedness from the earth. The Old Testament violence offers a glimpse of God’s wrath against the unrepentant.
Practical protection of Israel
Allowing Canaanites to remain in the land would have led to ongoing conflict and bloodshed. Their pagan altars and temples would have tempted future generations forever. Eliminating them provided Israel with defensible borders and relative peace as God’s kingdom was established.
God fights for His people
The total destruction of Israel’s enemies also shows God fighting for His chosen people. He guaranteed their security against aggressive, immoral cultures. God will destroy the wicked on behalf of His children (Psalm 139:19-22). This brings comfort to the righteous.
Ultimate victory of God’s plan
Despite appearances, God’s plan was not thwarted by Israel’s disobedience in failing to fully conquer Canaan (Judges 1:19, 21, 27-35). Through repeated cycles of disobedience, oppression, deliverance, and restoration, God brought Israel to repentance. God uses even human wickedness to ultimately accomplish His purposes.
The hardness of the human heart
Due to the hardness of their hearts, the Israelites were not, at that time, able to live peacefully beside the Canaanites and needed them removed in order to obey God. Jesus made it clear that some Old Testament laws were given only as a concession to human weakness (Matthew 19:8).
Part of a flawed, sinful world
As part of a fallen world corrupted by sin, it seems wrong that violence would be part of God’s plan. But humanity chose to turn from God, necessitating severe steps to bring about redemption. God met people where they were to move them toward salvation despite an evil world.
God uses violence to end violence
Left unchecked, the Canaanites would have destroyed Israel and ended any hope of the Messiah being born. Violence was needed to prevent even greater evils and accomplish God’s purposes. Just as war and capital punishment, though tragic, are at times the only ways to check aggression and redeem lives.
Points to God’s control over history
By using Israel to accomplish His purposes, the conquest shows that God is sovereign over human history. No nation rises or falls apart from God’s direction to bring about His will (Daniel 4:34-35). God’s hand guides the course of this violent, rebellious world.
The Old Testament from a New Testament filter
While troubling, the violence of the Old Testament must be viewed through the redemptive work of Christ revealed in the New Testament. Seeing the conquest of Canaan in light of God’s ultimate mission of redemption and restoration softens the severity of God’s actions.
In summary, the violence found in the Old Testament is troubling and complex. But when seen in light of God’s justice, holiness, and sovereignty, and placed into the larger context of Scripture and redemptive history, it can be better understood. Most importantly, all of Scripture points to humanity’s need for redemption and Jesus Christ as the only answer to sin, violence and death.